Category: Impact Junkie

“Chase down your passion like it’s the last bus of the night.” T.G

“A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.” —John C. Maxwell

What does passion mean? It is a strong and barely controllable emotion. If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion. That is true concerning college, a job, or any other thing you find yourself doing. Passion is energy. You will be able to feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. One person filled with passion about a cause is better than 100 people who are merely interested in the cause. Passion for a cause is not something you can fake. You can’t pretend to be on fire, you are or you aren’t.

Have you ever heard Dr Laura Catherine Schlessinger? Wikipedia says that she was born January 16, 1947 and is an American talk radio host member of the National Radio Hall of Fame and author. Her radio program consists mainly of her responses to callers’ requests for personal advice and has occasionally featured her short monologues on social and political topics. Her website says that her show “preaches, teaches, and nags about morals, values and ethics”. I have listened to her for over twenty years. I love her!

Dr Laura Schlessinger used to combine her local radio career with a private practice as a marriage and family counselor, but after going into national syndication, she concentrated her efforts on the daily The Dr. Laura Program, and on writing self-help books. The books Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives, and The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands are among her bestselling works. I have had both and they are very good books. Check her out!

I was listening to this modern day philosopher today and something she said peaked my in

terested. I wanted to share what she had to say with you and add a bit as well.

Her question to the audience was:

What is your passion?

How can you find out what your passion in life is?

Her advice was from an article she read and shared with us. I want to share those with you.

What topic could you read 500 books on and never get tired of knowing more or reading about?

What could you do for five straight years without getting paid?

If you had financial abundance to do anything in the world, what would you do?

Make a list of the people you are jealous of. This will give you clarity. What do these people do that make you jealous?

These questions are taking practicality out thinking and just gets to the core. Don’t assume your passion is your job right now. Your job is the way to eventually entertain your passion. It is the practicality.

Are you starting to think?

Your true passion will not be found overnight but it will be through a series of discoveries.

“Passion is the genesis of genius.” —Tony Robbins

I could read 500 books about photography, speaking, leadership and the ability to be an encouragement in many different ways.

Regardless of payment, I would continue to read and share encouragements with others, travel and host in my home as often as possible.

If I had the financial ability to do anything in the world, I would travel constantly photographing as I went along to create books of wonder for others to cherish. I would continue to travel and speak and bring awareness to human trafficking and how it affects our American children and youth.

“You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.” —Steve Jobs

Making a list of people I am ‘jealous’ of made me smile. This truly gave me clarity. The people I have thought of travel often, deeply care for others and those less fortunate, spend quality time with their children and speak in front of many people, they have a well known household name and aren’t afraid to stand up and be a leader. I want to follow in their footsteps.

“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” —Bishop T.D. Jakes

If you feel like there’s something out there that you’re supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it. Gather everything you can and learn as much as you can so you can be the most successful at whatever it is, you wish to do.

“I would rather die of passion than of boredom.” —Vincent Van Gogh

What are your thoughts? Share below! Comment and let’s see how many people are pursuing their passion in life.

You know others I do not know-please share:

DC Dream Center -Things we need

posted on: November 14, 2017

The mission of IMPACT JUNKIE is to excite, engage, and inspire entrepreneurs, change-makers, and impact-seekers to use their superpowers (talents, skills, abilities) for good — to create real impact in real lives in their cities/communities and around the world. Since the establishment of ImpactJunkie in February 2017, we have already built water wells in Haiti and currently investing in sustainable work for locals to build water wells in their country. Many of our ImpactJunkie members were instrumental in the relief projects of Hurricane Harvey and Irma. This month, we are working with an organization to support Syrian refugees in Athens, Greece, providing tech and entrepreneurial training. We are excited about future projects in Central America, Africa, Asia, and multiple cities in the US.

During our most recent event in Washington, D.C., our team supported the DC Dream Center by organizing and cleaning the gorgeous Southeast White House for the holiday events provided to all in the community. Needy children in the Washington DC community go without proper food, shelter, and small things we take for granted such as a safe place for after-school activities. While all of us are susceptible to hard times, there are many children and families who are at the most risk, and they make up the largest number of people in need around the holidays. While cleaning and prepping, we noticed a special sunroom that stole our heart. It currently functions as an art room for the community’s children.

Sadly, the tables are old, the vinyl on the chairs are split, two tall window panes are missing, and the art supplies are all gone.

Knowing the wonderful support, the DC Dream Center provides to the community by keeping kids off the streets and providing them with a space to be creative, ImpactJunkie has adopted this room and asking for your help. It would not take much to transform this room (pictures available). Together, we will be able to help many of these families’ beautiful children start toward a brighter future using creativity with after-school programs in an awesome, safe, warm room. As a member of this incredible organization, to support a pillar program like DC Dream Center is an honor.

More Information:

You can find the Dream Center on social media @DCDreamCenter http://www.dcdreamcenter.com/. The Southeast White House is conveniently located behind the Dream Center and both work completely off donations. Their most recent event they gave away hundreds of Leesa mattresses and are currently organizing Thanksgiving baskets to give away to those in need in the community.

Join our Impact project: Monetary donations can help purchase supplies, materials, and have the windows fixed in the art sun-room. We would also take donations such as complete table sets, plastic containers for supplies, and art supplies. We have a team of impactjunkies ready to get this room ready as soon as possible. Our goal is to have the room ready in time for, January 15th MLK Day.

ImpactJunkie is most rewarded when we are able to empower others to have an impact in their communities and around the world. Join us as we drive impact!

You know others I do not know-please share:

Impact Junkies at the other White House

posted on: November 13, 2017

I smile as I think of the wonderful weekend with the Impact Junkie team in Washington DC area this past weekend. What an incredible team of people who use their abilities, talents and skills to help domestically and internationally. Impact Junkie

On this trip I stumbled across a project I need help with this year. The White is an old gorgeous home that has the best kind of creaky floors. It is located behind The Dream Center created by Mark Batterson’s Dream Team to give people a place to hang out, learn, grow, get their families involved in productive after school activities like ballet, martial arts and even basketball. Walking through the White house with my Impact Junkie team, we began checking off the list of things we would want to get done like:

cleaning grout,

fixing two broken toilets,

collecting all the holiday decorations from the attic and basement and

organizing those for the upcoming season.

I was excited to be there but my heart kept tugging me to explore the old house more…until I found the sun-room.

The sun-room was a warm haven. Quiet with huge glass windows that overlooked the beautiful DC residential area. As cold and windy as it was outside, I was warm and toasty and my heart felt peace in that sun-room. I decided to make this my project for the day. I cleaned, dusted, mopped and made it shine the best it could but it lacks art supplies and paint on the walls as well as it misses two window panes…the holes covered by wooden planks.

If you want a legitimate place to invest in. A place that really needs a small touch of love for it to really bloom and thrive I offer to you the other White House on South Pennsylvania Ave in Washington DC.

As I swept the floors I picked up old hand drawn art projects from children I will never meet. I thought about those kids and smiled. I prayed God would paint beautiful memories in their minds and cover any nightmares of memories they might have.

I dusted baseboards and asked God to dust away any debris in the kids’ lives that might be covering talents they could use to grow and have productive lives in the future.

I cleaned away old glitter from long past projects and prayed God would fill their lives with sparkle.

This was a peaceful place for children to come and be safe and artistically grow. As we washed the windows we noticed repairs needed. Two window panes are missing covered by wooden boards.

There are no art supplies left. Only broken chalk.

The three tables are sturdy but mismatched and their vinyl chairs are torn and the stuffing is coming out.

The one wall is beige and scratched from constantly been touched by little hands.

My friend Zuri came to check on me and I showed her the things I wouldn’t be able to fix today but it would be easy to make this room incredible.

Our idea? Let’s adopt this sun-room!

Chalkboard paint.

Three new donated tables and chairs.

And the IMPACTJUNKIE logo over the newly adopted door.

And of course the art supplies.

We would need a group of people with a vision to donate and contribute a very small amount of money to go to buying good art supplies monthly.

Laura & Zuri

An idea was born and I have to see it through.

I may not be able to go overseas and do missions but I can offer these simple solutions and help kids here. If you’re interested in helping at all reach out to me and I promise 100% will go to those renovations. I can’t wait to show you the updates…the improvements on the adopted IMPACTJUNKIE sunroom. I have shared pictures with you here to show you what the room looks like right now. Color and new supplies would be all this room needed. Feel free to contact me: LauraAranda@owlofhope.com

A panoramic of the sun-room that needs new tables and chairs and paint as well as a new windowpane (2)